president, for coming back to washington. let's hope it's for real work not just for the show of it. the per pettial razzle dazzle as i like to call it the first lady and the obama daughters, lucky them, are staying on the island, and that's estimated to cost the taxpayers as much as $200,000. apparently president obama's statement that we're all needing to sacrifice for the greater good only goes so far. and that's the memo. now on to the top story. some on the far left are not even taking the budget battle seriously despite the pain it could cause for about 160 million americans. >> this is a manufactured crisis. we don't have a short-term deficit problem. we have a jobs and growth problem and we have a faltering recovery. we should put off the sequester. put off this grand bargain. come back. let the bush tax cuts expire. make sure the middle class doesn't have to pavement the schif a manufactured media drama. >> laura: wow, can you say out of touch? joining us now from new york is maxwell a democratic strategist and guy b